Smoke Inhalation
Summary: The ‘Pittlings’, as Jack likes to refer to them as, are unaware that he is in a relationship. He likes to keep his life outside of the hospital private. After responding to a call out to a structural fire, you and your crew are bringing four patients to PTMC for treatment. Jack is on a rare day shift, and is in the hospital when you arrive. The Pittlings very quickly learn about your relationship when your captain rats you out for giving your breathing mask to a teenager and insists you get checked over for smoke inhalation.
Tags: Jack Abbot x Reader, Gender Neutral!Reader, Firefighter!Reader, (kinda) Secret Relationship, Light Angst, Fluff, The Pittlings are nosy
Word Count: 4K
A/N: So, in doing a bit of research for this fic I found out that firefighters and EMS are different services in Pittsburgh, but I really had my heart set on firefighter paramedic reader so we are going to just ignore that and pretend that firefighters to EMS runs in this universe. Also I love the Pittlings just being really nosy and wanting to know what’s going on with the firefighter who came in. I loved the idea of night shift plus Dana and Robby knowing who reader was but the Pittlings (and most of day shift) just having no idea because its never come up. (Update, I might end up getting sanctioned and taken off of universal credit because I was too busy writing Jack Abbot fanfiction and forgot a had a meeting today. Shit)
”Okay, thanks Medi-command.” Dana’s voice catches Jack’s attention. Something was coming in hot. “Structural fire over in Woods Run, three minutes out. We’ve got four incoming. Prep for possible burns and smoke inhalation.” She shouted out. Everyone around the nurses station springs into action, making sure both trauma bays are clear and that they have a couple of rooms ready for the imminent influx. Jack was on a rare day shift. Langdon had called out, his wife had come down with the flu and he needed to watch the kids, so Jack had stepped up to take on the senior role for the day. They didn’t need a second attending on shift, but with their senior resident out and you working that day Jack was happy to step up.
”Any idea who’s bringing them in?” Jack wraps his knuckles on the nurses station where he’d been leaning.
”You know they never tell us which house it is.” Dana scoffed. She knew why Jack was asking. You were a firefighter EMT, of course he would want to know if his partner would be making an appearance in the ED.
The two of you had been together for almost a year. Jack had been working a SWAT shift when you met. A hostage situation had gone bad and SWAT had been called in. The armed assailants had driven their car through the window of the building they were entering, and the thing had gone up in flames, meaning that your house had been called out to the scene as well. You and your guys had gotten the fire under control, giving SWAT the go ahead to go in, but had been told to stick around in case of any civilian injuries inside. You’d heard when the shooting started and your stomach dropped. It never did get any easier being on a call out like this. Eventually the SWAT boys came out and you went in to check over the people inside.
”Hey.” You called out from the back of your ambulance to one of the SWAT guys who was sporting an obvious bullet wound on his left arm. “Why don’t you come over here and let us check that out for you?”
”Nah. I’m good, thanks. It wasn’t a direct hit, just grazed me.” He shrugged and tried to walk off. You jogged over to him.
”Come on. Let me get you patched up.” You’d smiled up at him.
”Seriously. I’m a doctor, I’m fine.” He huffed.
”Well then, Doctor.” You drew out the word. “You should be aware that blood is supposed to be inside of the body, and not all over your shirt.” Jack couldn’t help but chuckle. “Come on, just let me put some gauze on that to stop the bleeding if nothing else. For my piece of mind.” Now that he was properly looking at you he couldn’t refuse. You were gorgeous. He huffed in resignation and sat down on the edge of the ambulance to let you bandage his arm.
”I’m Jack by the way. I didn’t get your name.” He muttered whilst you wrapped his arm to keep the gauze in place. You gave him your name.
”Well Jack. That’s the best I can do without bringing you in. Tell you what, how about you give me your number so I can check on you later if you won't get that checked out.” It was bold, Jack had to admire it. In fact he admired it enough to actually do it, and here you are now. Eleven months later and still going strong.
~~~
Robby had taken Samira, Whitaker, and Santos out to the ambulance bay for the first couple of patients. McKay, and Javadi were standing by ready to grab the next lot with a couple of med students. Jack was ready in Trauma One to switch off with Robby so that he could go straight back out to the ambulance bay and help out if needed. Jack knew what he was doing in here. He and Robby were a tight knit team. They worked to each other's strengths and covered their weaknesses. This part was down to a science.
”Twelve year old boy with severe smoke inhalation, we intubated at the scene but sats are still low.” Jack knew that voice anywhere. You were here. It was your house that responded to the call. You were still bagging steadily as you wheeled the kid into Trauma One. Jack’s breath hitched for just a second. He’d never get over the sight of you. Jesse took over bagging from you in the hand off.
”Jack.” Your captain called out, he had walked into the room behind the gurney. “This one needs checking over as well.” He nodded at you. His head snaps to look at you, eyes flitting over you to find the source of the injury. Santos and Whitaker shared a look of confusion and interest over the patient bed.
“Whitaker, why don’t you head back out and grab the next guy with Robby.” Samira cut in. Dennis just nodded and rushed back out of the bay.
“Samira I’ll be two minutes tops. I’ll be right outside, shout if you need me.” Jack held the door open and let you walk back out into the ward. “Sit.” He pointed at the stool at the nurses station. “What happened?” Dana was looking over at the three of you now.
“This idiot decided it would be a good idea to take their mask off whilst they were still inside the building.” Your captain snapped. It was gruff, a little mean, but Jack could hear the concern underneath it.
“That kid was decompensating cap!” You thrust your hand out towards the kid in Trauma One. “What was I supposed to do, let him die?”
“It’s not standard protocol.” He huffed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
“Fuck standard protocol!”
“We’ve gotta get back out there.” Your captain sighed. Jack could tell you two had had this argument before. “They’re your problem now. Make sure they’re properly cleared before they leave.” He said to Jack. Jack just nodded.
“Hey Dana? I’ve got to get back in there, can you start a chart and make sure they stay on that stool until I get back” Jack spoke to Dana but his eyes never left yours. He raised an eyebrow at you, as if daring you to try and get up. You knew you couldn’t go anywhere.
“I’ll do you one better, I’ll put them in a room for ya.”
~~~
Santos was dying to know what the story was between Dr Abbot and the fire crew that had come in. She’d never seen them before, it wasn’t very often they got medic runs from the fire department, and as much as she would deny it she was certainly nosy. Whitaker had picked up on it as well, they had given each other a look over the gurney before he’d been rushed out of the room to go and help with the next patient.
”So what’s the story with Abbot and the firefighters?” She asked Samira as they rushed around administering oxygen and checking over burns. Samira was known to work night shifts, if anybody here knew it would be her.
”Focus on the patient Dr Santos.” She chided. Santos wasn’t aware that Samira did in fact know Jack’s partner. They’d met on a night shift when you had come into the ED with leftover cookies an old lady had dropped off at the firehouse.
”How’re we looking?” Jack swanned back into the room, donning gloves and coming up beside Samira.
”Administering high flow oxygen to offset the smoke inhalation, sats are stabilising. Looks like partial thickness burns on both arms and the lower left leg. They don’t look too nasty though they’ll need debreying and cleaning, but we shouldn’t need to get plastics down here. About to put orders in for bloods to check ABG’s and we’ll need to do a carboxyhemoglobin test to rule out carbon monoxide poisoning." Samira reeled off. Santos couldn’t help but watch Abbot. She wanted to get to the bottom of this mystery.
”Hey, Dr Abbot-” Santos started before being cut off.
”Okay. Good work. If you’re both okay in here, I’m gonna check McKay next door.” Jack left through the double doors connecting the two trauma bays to each other.
Outside, in the central area, you were still sitting at the nurses station. You’d discarded your over jacket, leaving you in just your uniform T-shirt and pants. You felt lighter without the heavy fire retardant material of the jacket on. Your chest was sore and you had to stifle a cough every few seconds. Dana was watching you with eagle eyes over the top of her computer screen. You knew this would all be getting back to Jack. The incoming lecture was not something you were looking forward to.
”Mel.” Dana’s voice rang out across the ED. You swiveled your head around and saw a blonde doctor stop in her tracks. “Take our firefighter friend over here and get them set up in south 15 and start a chart. Dr Abbot will be over in a couple minutes to take over.”
”Oh, I’m sure I can handle it on my own if-“ The doctor, Mel, rambled before Dana cut her off.
”No need. Abbot will want to take this one.” She gave you a pointed look and you huffed from where you were sitting, legs stretched out in front of you.
”This really isn't necessary Dana.” You sigh, but resign yourself to standing up anyway.
”Yeah, keep talking, bright spark and I’ll let Jack know how you’ve been coughing and spluttering for the past three minutes.” She smirked.
”You’re evil.”
”Just doing my job.” She shrugged trying to hide the smile on her face. You caught pace with Mel who was walking you towards south 15.
”Okay, I’m Dr King, I’ll just take a quick history from you whilst we wait for Dr Abbot.” Mel spoke as you walked into the room. “Sorry, can I ask how you know Dana and Dr Abbot?” She asked as you got yourself situated on the bed.
”It’s a long story.” You smirked, laying your head back on the pillow.
Jack was in Trauma 2 with McKay and Javadi, their patient had come out worse for wear than the boy in Trauma 1. The woman on the bed in front of them had some serious full thickness burns on her neck and upper arm. Robby poked his head through the doors.
”How are we doing in here?” He asked Jack.
”We’re getting there. Plastics’ll want to come down and look at some of these burns, but we’ve got a handle on it for now.” Jack told him. “She’s about to go up for a chest x-ray.”
”Good.” Robby nodded. “Hey, I saw it was the 38 who brought them in. Are they heading straight back back or sticking around for a little bit?” Javadi looked between the two attendants as they spoke. They both seemed awfully familiar with this firehouse, and from the inflection in Robby’s voice it was obvious to her that there was some sort of underlying question there.
”They’re heading back out, but someone has been ordered to stay put because they decided to take their mask off inside a burning building to give it to a kid.”
”Ah.” He quipped. “You want me to start a chart for you?” Javadi found it was getting increasingly more difficult to focus on her patient. Whatever was happening here between Robby and Abbot and this mysterious someone was way more interesting.
”No. Dana’s got a handle on it. You can find out what room they’re in though. Just pop in and tell them I’ll be through in a minute.” Jack shrugged. Oh this was getting juicy.
”Yeah of course man. Gives me an excuse to go say hi.” Jack just chuckled at that.
”Javadi focus.” McKay spoke and that pulled her attention back down to the patient.
”Let me know when that chest x-ray comes back.” Jack called out before he was leaving the room. Now it was just Javadi and McKay in the room once again.
”Hey, what was that about?” She grinned at McKay.
”No idea.” McKay drawled out, putting her orders into the portable computer.
”But you agree it was weird right? Like what’s the deal with this specific fire house?” McKay just sighed and tipped her forehead forward.
”I don’t know Victoria. Honestly it wouldn’t surprise me if Abbot was a volunteer firefighter on the side. He doesn’t really strike me as the kind of guy who likes to stand still for very long.” And just like that she was walking back out of the Trauma room to go and check on her other patients. Javadi just couldn’t shake the inflection on that someone. No, there was definitely more to it.
~~~
“That’s what I said!” You laughed at Robby as Jack entered south 15. You were sprawled out on the bed, one foot propped up and you hand behind your head, like you owned the place. “Hi gorgeous.” Your voice softened when you saw Jack.
“I will leave you to it.” Robby clapped Jack on the back as he headed for the door. He paused in the doorway. “I’ll pop in again later when my shift ends.” He nodded to you before walking away.
”You need to put that mask back on.” Jack stood in front of you, arms crossed. Mel had put you on a high flow oxygen mask before she’d left.
”I will. I only took it off so that I could talk.” You smiled, Jack wasn’t smiling.
”No, you need to keep it on. The oxygen will help clear the smoke out of your lungs.”
”Yeah, Jack. I know.” You roll your eyes, still holding the mask in your hand instead of putting it over your face.
”Exactly! You of all people should know how stupid it was to take your breather off out there. Do you have any idea the amount of damage you could have done-“
”Oh, so that's what this is about!” Your voice raised. “Do you seriously think I was going to let that kid die in my arms? It was two minutes, tops.”
”I know you’re not stupid so I won’t remind you what damage can actually be done in two minutes.” His voice was low, dangerous. You’d never seen Jack this angry before. “But I do think that you were being reckless and that it was a stupid thing to do regardless.”
”Yeah, well that's rich coming from the guy who enjoys getting shot at on his days off.” You smack the oxygen mask back to your face and give him a pointed look, ending the conversation. Jack walked over to the portable computer and pulled up your chart.
”I want you to go and get a chest x-ray done. I’m going to have a nurse come in and draw up bloods for an ABG and a carboxyhemoglobin panel, and then we are going to reevaluate and see if I need to swap you to a nebulizer. I don’t like the sound of that cough.” His voice was neutral, professional. It was almost worse than the shouting. “You’re going to stay in overnight so we can monitor your respiratory levels and make sure there is no delayed airway swelling. We will also be continuing this conversation later.”
”Whatever you say doctor.” You roll your eyes and cross your arms over your chest.
~~~
Over at the nurses station Santos, Whitaker, Javadi, and Mel were all busy charting. There was less than an hour left of their shift and they had all been relegated to charting jail, as they liked to call it, since their patients were all stable and only needed monitoring.
”Sooo.” Whitaker turned his attention towards Santos. “Did anything else happen with Abbot and that firefighter after I left?” He asked her.
”What firefighter?” Javadi’s head popped up from the screen she'd been looking at.
”One of the firefighters that came in seemed to be awfully chummy with Dr Abbot. Even their captain seemed to know him. Practically dumped them on him saying they needed to stay here and get checked over.” Santos explained. “But to answer your question, Huckleberry, no. Abbot took them both back out to the nurses station so I didn’t get to see anything else.”
”Damn. I’m really curious now.” Whitaker sighed.
”Dana asked me to start a chart on them. They also seemed friendly with her. Maybe the ED just used to get more firefighter runs than it does now. If they used to come in more often it would explain why they both seem to know them.” Mel shrugged, inserting themselves into the conversation.
”That makes sense actually. Robby sounded like he knew them as well. He told Dr Abbot that he would pop in and say hi.” Javadi nodded. The charting in front of them had been long forgotten now. They were never going to finish it before their shift ended regardless, and this conversation was a lot more fun.
”Wait, hang on. Mel, you started a chart on them?” Santos backtracked to what Mel had said.
”Yeah, Dana asked me to go put them in south 15.” They all looked over at the room that was directly behind them. The curtains were closed so they couldn’t see inside. Still it piqued their interest.
”And then what? Did you get anything out of them?” She sighed.
”Not much. I asked how they knew Dana and Dr Abbot, but they just told me that ‘it was a long story’.” Santos just groaned.
”You don’t think Dr Abbot is in a relationship do you?” Whitaker asked.
”That guy? Nah. There is only one type of person who at 50 voluntarily takes on the night shift and then spends their free time moonlighting for a SWAT team. Lonely single men.” Santos scoffed.
”McKay said he might be volunteering with the firefighters. It would make sense that he’d know the crew if he picks up shifts there.” Javadi shrugged.
”SWAT and firefighting? I think that would be a new record for levels of sad.” Santos scoffed.
”Well then maybe they’re siblings.” Whitaker offered. “Or, maybe, they really are just old friends.”
”Oh but where’s the fun in that?”
~~~
7pm rolled around and the night shift began to filter in and take over from the day. Jack was going to pull a double shift. He’d been planning to anyway since you’re shifts are 24 hours, but now that you were staying overnight in the hospital there was no way he could go home now. Especially since your last conversation had ended the way it had. He felt awful about it. Jack hadn’t meant to get so frustrated with you. You were both hotheaded and he knew you both needed the time to cool off so he gave it until the end of the day shift before he thought about going and seeing you again.
”Hey, we heard what happened earlier.” Parker came to stand next to him at the nurses station as he checked over the board. What happened earlier being that you had come in earlier, and that you were currently sitting around in a patient room. “I also hear you’re pulling a double. Shen and I can manage the floor for a couple of hours if you want to grab a nap for a bit.” The look she gave him gave way to his underlying message. ‘If you want to have a nap with your partner who is currently a patient.’ But that went unsaid. Jack just sighed.
”Yeah. No, I might.” He pushed off the worktop. He did need to speak to you again. Enough time had passed for you to have both chilled out, and Jack wanted to apologize for getting angry at you. Now was as good a time as ever.
“Hey.” He smiled as he entered your room, closing the curtain behind him. You raised an eyebrow at him. “I come bearing a white flag.” He held his hands up in defeat.
”Not here to call me stupid again?” You glare at him as he sits on the stool by your bed.
”No.” Jack picks up your hand from where it was resting on the bed. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said what I did. You just really fucking scared me. I love it when you come in here and I get to see you whilst I’m at work, I don’t love it so much when you’re in here as a patient for something completely preventable.” He sighed.
”Jack, I wasn't going to let that kid die.”
”I know. I know you weren’t, and that's one of the things I love about you. I also can’t be mad at you for it, reckless as it was, because I know that I would have done the same thing.”
”Exactly. You would have, which is why I was getting so annoyed at you.”
”Yeah. I wasn’t really thinking about that. I was thinking about you, and all the things that could go wrong. Smoke inhalation is really fucking dangerous. D’you know how many people we treat, and how many of them die?”
”You think I don’t?” You counter, there’s no malice behind it this time though.
”Yeah. Sorry I know. You probably know that better than I do. I just don’t know what I would do if I lost you.”
”Come here you big sap.” You chuckle and shift over on the bed, patting it as an invitation for him to join. “You’ve been on that leg all day, your knee must be killing.”
You and Jack lay huddled together on the hospital bed, your head on his chest and his arm around you.
”Your sats are looking better by the way.” He mumbles into your hair.
”Yeah?” You glance up at the screen by your bed.
”Yeah, the nebulizer did a lot of work to reopen your airways, and your chest x-ray came back clear.” He’s tracing patterns up and down your side as he speaks.
”Does that mean I get to go home now?”
”No. You still have to stay overnight for observation. But, I’m doing a double tonight so I get to keep you company until I can discharge you.”
”Oh do you now?” You chuckle, looking up at him.
”Yeah, I do.” Jack smiled as he lent down to kiss you.
At that exact moment one of the nurses opened the door to your room and threw back the curtain, exposing the pair of you to the world outside. From outside the door Jack heard a wolf whistle.
”Damn Dr Abbot.” The sound of Trinity Santos filtered through the now open door. Jack removed his mouth from yours and looked out through the now open door.
”Santos.” He quirked an eyebrow at the R2 sitting at the nurses station, charting presumably. “Is there something you would like to say?”
”Nothing.” She frowned, then as though she were trying to say it beneath her breath but failed spectacularly. “I just didn’t know you were banging the hot firefighter.” Jack could see the shit eating grin starting to form as she turned back to the rest of the ‘pittlings’. The nurse in the room at least had the grace to pretend to look apologetic as she pulled the curtain back across.
”This is what happens when you come in here.” Jack groaned, pressing his forehead against yours.
”What did I do?” You scoffed.
”They’re never going to take me seriously now. You’re ruining my street cred with these kids.” You couldn’t help but laugh at your pouting boyfriend.
”Darling, you never had any ‘street cred’ to begin with.”
